Liquid-fuel burner.



No; 728,140. PATENTED MAY 12, 1903.

c w. sPIoER. 1 LIQUID PUELBURNER. v

APPLICATION FILED JULY 22. 1902.

F0 yMODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

wnNEssEs; I IVENTOR at f WJ/dw' me nonms ravens co. Puomruo., wAsulNnTon, nA c4 No. 728,140. PATENTED MAY 12, 1903.

C. W. SPIGEB..

LIQUID PUVUL BURNER. APPLIOATION FILED JULY 22. 1902. N0 MODEL. 3. SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES! r INVENTR TT'oRNEYs UNITED STA-TRS Patented May i2, 190s.

"ATENT FFICE LlQUlD-FUpEL BURNER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 728,140, dated `May 12, 1903.

l Application filed .Tuly 22, 1.902. SerialNo. 116,501. kNo model.)

To a/ZZ wtom it may concern:

Beit known that I, CLARENCE WINFRED SPICER, a citizen of the United States, resid- I ing at Ithaca, in the county of Tompkins and State of -New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Liquid-Fuel skilled in the art to which it appertains to makeV and use the same. y

, My invention relates to improvements iu liquid-fuel burners or furnaces; and it con-V sists in the novel means of introducing the liquid fuel and vaporizi'ng the same and in Ithe novel structure of the burner.

The burner herein described is particularly intended to use petroleum-oils, either crude or refined, in the form of what is known in the market as kerosene,and similar oils which are too heavy for use in the burners of most steam-carriages of the present day.

My burner or furnace is adapted for use in connection with steam-boilers and for other uses to which burners employing liquid or gaseous fuel are applicable.

The objects of myinvention are to employ heavier petroleum-oils than may be employed with satisfactory results in most liquid-fuel burners now in use and avoid the use of a generator directly heated by the flame of the burner for heating the oil prior to its passage into the burner proper, to avoid fouling of the burner, the deposition of soot, and a smoky flame, to avoid the use of a torch for starting the burner and to make the burner substantially self-starting, and generally to improve the structure ofthe burner and make the same as simple,compact,eiicient, durable, and easy of management as possible.

I will now proceed to describe my invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which burners embodying my invention are illustrated, and will then point out the novel features in claims.

In the said drawings, Figure 1 shows a central vertical section of my burner applied to a steam-boiler. Fig. 2 is a top view of the two. Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal section of one of the atomizers. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing another form of my burner in which a mixing-chamber is pro- -vided with the usual air-dues.

.of burner commonly in use. these methods isfnot applicable in the burn- :buruer under such conditions.

top View of this second form of burner.

According to my invention the liquid fluel is not simply sprayed into a mixing-champassing it through a generator exposed to the direct action of the llame before'ithas passed into the mixing-chamber, as in another type The rst of ing of the heavier petroleum-oils, such as `kerosene or crude petroleum, since a considerable proportion of the constituents of such oils.cannot be vaporized successfully in a The use of a generator is to be avoided, if possible, since the oilvin passing through such generator is apt to be overheated, with the result that it suers decomposition. Commercial keroseneoil consists of anumber of hydrocarbon oils of'different specific gravities, the heavier oils 4being in solution in the lighter oils, and the same is true to a much greater extent of crude petroleum. Now if either of these oils be AAoverheated while in a liquid state the lighter constituents are'evaporated, and as a necessary result the heavier constituents are deposited. This is what is apt to occurif kerosene or crude petroleum be used in burners having generators such as above mentioned.

According to my invention the oil to bev after by the heat of the mixing-chamber, yet 5 because this second heating of the oil is conducted with the latter in an atomized condition no portion of the oil is overheated, and so no tendency to decomposition of the oil', or

cracking, as it is termed, results.

I am aware that it is old to spray petroleumoils into the tire boxes of locomotives and Fig. 5 is aber, as is the case in one type of liquid-fuel Aburner commonly iu use, nor is it heated by similar boilers by means of air or steam under pressure. In such cases, however, com bustion begins at or near the spraying-nozzle or atomizer, and the combustion is attended by a loud roaring noise, which in many cases is exceedingly objectionable. The burner herein described differs from this class of spraying or atomizing burners in that a mixing-chamber is interposed between the atomizer and the liame, with the result that airis thoroughly mixed with the atomized vapor before combustion, and the vapor issues from the burner-orifices at'a relatively low rate of speed,-and therefore the roaring noise above mentioned is avoided, and at the same time it is possible t-o obtain from the same burner ablue orsmokeless fiame through awide range of rate of combustion of the fuel.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings and at first to Figs. 1 to 3 thereof, the said drawings show the lower portion of a boiler l, having a combustion-chamber 2, beneath which is a mixingchamber 3, separated froni the combustion-chamber 2 by a foraminous plate or screen 4t. Some distance above this plate el: are superheatingcoils 5, and between them and said plate are baileplates or deilectors 6. At one side are oriices 7 and 8 for the introduction of air and fuel, orifice 7 being above the foraminous plate 4 and orifice 8 below the same. Opposite these orifices are atomizers 9 and 10, both connected to a fuelsupply pipe 11 and to a pipe 12, leading from the heat-coils 5. Another pipe 13 maysupply steam or air under pressure to these coils.

The atomizers 9 and l() Aare of the wellkuown construction shown in detail in Fig. 3. Any suitable atomizing device capable `of atomizing oils such as mentioned by the use of air, steam, or othersuitable gas under pressure may be used. The atomizer 9 is arranged to project a jet of atomized-oil vapor toward the first baiTle-plate 6.

In starting my burner into operation if steam under pressure is not available compressed air may be used. To this end pipe 13 may be connected to any suitable source of supply of air tindex' pressure, orif no such source be convenient and if the pipe 13 be connected to the boiler 1, as Will ordinarily be the case, air may be pumped into this boiler until a gage-pressure of fifteen or twenty pounds exists, after which the valves leading to the atomizer 9 may be opened and the jet of atomized-oil vapor issuing from the atomizer ignited. The Haine thus produced impinges against the rst bafiie-plate and being deected thereby impinges against the second baille-plates, and so on, and passes upward, heating the coils 5 and the water in the boiler and starting the generation of steam. A considerable proportion of the heat thus produced in the combustion-chamber is deliected downward by the baftie-plates, so as to heat the walls of the mixing-chamber 3 and the air therein. After a short time and when with. The highly-heated steam or air which atomizes this oil in the atomizer 10 serves to heat the same to a considerable extent, and this heating is continued in the mixing-chamber through the heat radiated from the wall thereof, so that the mixture of oil vapor and air issuing from the fine perforations in the burner-plate 4.- is at a temperature to permit smokeless combustion of the oil vapor in the com bustion-chamber 2 with a blue or colorless flame. Inthus starting the burner the airpressure used should be maintained at a minimum of from twelve to fteen pounds gagepressure until the generation of steam renders the further supply of air unnecessary. After the atomizer 10 is in full operation atomizer 9 may be shut off, or a slow action of this atomizer may be permitted and the flame therefrom used as a pilot-flame.

Atomizer 9 is so located and is preferably of such size that it may serve not only for heating the mixing-chamber, but for raising steam, and may be used in place of atomizer 10 and the mixing-chamber in case either of these parts should be disabled. In using the atomizer 9 in starting up only a portion of the heat generated by it is absorbed in heating the mixing-chamber. The remainder is utilized to heat the boiler and its contents, thus making it possible to raise steam very rapidly.

The mixing-chamber, it Will be noted, is a single unitary chamber, without small branches and Without sharp turns, around which the vapor must pass on its Way to the perforations in the burner-plate 4, and therefore the oil particles will not be separated from the current of air or air and steam carrying them by inertia action.

It is not necessary to supply the oil to the atomizers under pressure, since the atomizers are capable of acting like injectors to lift the oil to them.

The mixing-chamber of the burner shown in Figs. 1 and 2 differs from the corresponding chambers of similar burners now in use in that all the air required for the consumption of the oil is taken in through the openingr 8, the burner being Without the usual air dues or thimbles by which air is carried into the combustion chamber without passing through the mixing-chamber. As a result the air to supply the burner may be drawn from any convenient point, even from a point distant from the burner, by connecting a suitable air-pipe to the opening 8, and air may even be supplied to the burner under pressure. The top plate 4 of the burner may be a metal plate provided with narrow cuts or slots, as shown, (the width of these slots being necessarily exaggerated in the drawings,) or the said top plate may contain minute per- IOO IIC

forations formed by punching or drilling or similar action, or, again, the top plate may be a simple netting of wire-gauze. In any case the openings should preferably be so small that the lame will not pass backward through them, though of course if the air and oil-vapor be supplied to the burner at a rate such that the gas issues through the orifices of the plate 4 at a speed greater than the speed of propagation of flame backward through such a gas the size of the openings in plate 4 is less important. A burner thus constructed has nothing in its interior to impede unduly the flow of the combustible vapor to its burner-orifices; but instead of using a mixing-chamber such as shown in Fig. 1 I may use a mixing-chamber of the ordinary type. This is shown in Fig. 4, in which the mixing-chamber 14 is provided with the ordinary iiues or thimbles 15, through which air is admitted to the interior of the combustionchamber without passing through the mixingchamber. The operation of this burner is the same as that above described. Likewise the mixing-chamber of the burner shown in Figs. l and 2 may be used in burning gasolene and similar light oils without using atomizers, the oil being sprayed into said chamber in the ordinary manner.

It is obvious that my invention is susceptible to many variations and modifications, and I do not limit myself to the particular details of construction herein illustrated and described.

1. A burner of the class described, adapted for use in connection with steam-generators, comprising a mixing-chamber, a dame-chamber, an atomizer arranged to project an atomized vapor of oil into the mixing-cham ber, an atomizing burner for heating the mixingchamber, arranged to project atomized Vapor of oil into said dame-chamber at a point which is intermediate the mixing chamber and steam-generator when the burner is connected to said generator, and connections for supplying oil and iluid under pressure to at-omize the oil.

2. A burner of the class described, adapted for use in connection with steam-generators, comprising a mixing-chamber, a name-chamber, an atomizer arranged to project an atomized vapor of oil into the mixing-chamber, an atomizing burner for heating the mixingchamber, arranged to project atomized .vapor of oil into said iiame-cham ber at a point which is intermediate the mixing chamber and steam-generator when the burner is connected to said generator, means for supplying oil, and means for supplying fluid-under pressure to atomize the oil, comprising a superheater. 3. A burner of the class described, adapted for use in connection with steam-generators, comprising a mixing-chamber, a iiame-chamber, an atomizer arranged to project an atomized vapor of oil into the mixing-chamber, an atomizing burner for heating the mixingchamber, arranged to project atomizedvapor of oil into the ame-chamber at a point which is intermediate thel mixing chamber and steam-generator when the burner is connected to said generator, and a battle in the path of the jet from said atomizing-burner. 4. The combination with a steam-generator, of a burner comprising a mixing-chamber, a flame-chamber intermediate the mixing-chamber and the generator, an atomizer arranged to project an atomized vapor of oil into the mixing-chamber, a burner for heating the mixing-chamber, arranged to project iiame into said flame-chamber at a point intermediate the mixing-chamber and generator, and connections for supplying oil and fluid under pressure to the atomizer.

5. The combination, with a steam-generator, of a burner comprising a hollow disk-like mixing-chamber having in one of its substantially iiat sides a plurality of oriticesfor the escape of combustible vapor, an atomizer arranged to project an atomized Vapor of oil into the mixing-chamber, a flame-chamber intermediate the mixing-chamber and generator, a burner for heating the mixing-chamber, arranged to project iiame into said flamechamber at a point intermediate the mixingchamber and generator, and connections for supplying oil and superheated steam under pressure to the burner.

In testimony whereof I ax my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CLARENCE WINFRED SPIGER. Witnesses:

WILLARD M. KENT, LUCY H. VANKIRK. 

